Sealing mechanism for containers



July 17, 1928 Y J. VAN BUREN SEALING MECHANISM FOR CONTAINERS 4 Sheets-Sheet VVEIOR s g V 0 Q m Q m R m 41. 14W ATTORNEYS. 2

July 17, 1928.

J. VAN BUREN SEALING MECHANISM FOR CONTA INERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 71,677,259 .3. VAN BUREN SEKLING MECHANISM Fon'com'umsns Fild Nov- 1926 4sheets-sheet 5 July 17, 192s. 677,259

v J. VAN BUREN SEALING MECHANISM FOR CONTAINERS Fn ed Nov. 5, 1926 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July 17, 1928.

PATENT orrics.

JOHN vAN BunEN, or BRoOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SEALING MECHANISM FOR'CONTAINERS.

Application filed November 5, 1926. Serial No. 146,428.

This invention relates to sealing mechanism for containers.

One of the most difficult problems in handling greasy or oily substancesin cans or containers having removable covers, is to prevent thesubstance from leaking out of the can around the cover'and to preventair from leaking in thereby causing the substance to deteriorate. Theusual method of procedure is to place the cover on the cover end of thecan or container, then place the substance in the can and permanentlyclose the other end of the container.

. It has been found that an efiective seal terial to fit the cans orcontainers after it has been fed in a strip over the top of the can.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a machine of thecharacter specified, means for insuring the proper and efficient feedingof the strip of material to the containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a'inachine of thecharacter specified, means for insuring the proper and eflicient feedingof the viscous material or grease to the tops of the containers.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the followingspecification taken in. connection with the drawings, which form a partof this application, and in which i Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section ofa machine constructed in accordance with the invention takensubstantially on. line 11 of Fig. 2, certain parts being omitted for thesake of clearness;

Fig. 2 as a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1, this view beingpartly in section on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken substantiallyon line-3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig.1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 55 of Fig.4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 6-6 of Fig.2;

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 7-7 of Fig.5; and

Fig. 8 is asectional elevation of one of the containers showing thecellophane disk on the upper end or top thereof.

The invention briefly describe-d consists 6 of a machine comprisingmechanism for supporting and feeding a plurality of containers, such ascans, means for feeding an elongated or continuous strip of materialalong the tops of the containers and means 7 for severing the stripbetween adjacent con,- tainers. In the particular embodiment of theinvention shown, a lubricant or grease is fed to the-tops of thecontainers prior to the positioning thereover of the strip of ma terial,the grease functioning to prevent the material, such as cellophane, fromcurling or cracking Another feature embodied in the machine is themounting of the cutting mechanism and presser feet for holding the sostrip against the tops of the containers during the cutting operation ona carriage movable with the containers and strip. In other words, thepressing and cutting mechanism coacts with one pairof adjacentcontainers to cut the strip between said containers and during thisoperation, moves forwardly at substantially the same rate of speed asthe travel of the containers and strip. The carriage on which thecutting and pressing devices are mounted then movesback to a position tocoact with the next pair of adjacent containers which in the meantimehave been continuously advancing.

Various novel features are incorporated in the grease feeding, stripfeeding, strip p as holding and strip cutting mechanisms, and these willbe brought out in more detail in the following description.

Supporting and feeding mechanism for conminers.

In the particular embodiment of the inventionillustrated, the machine issupported on uprights or pedestals 10 and 11 and from each of the basesand has its upper end 21 beveled as shown in Fig. 1.

The lugs 19 are mounted on the link pins 25 of an endless chain 26 andthe chain is supported on rails 27 and 28 which are engaged by rollers29 and 30 mounted on the outer ends of the pins 25. The rollers are heldon the tracks or rails 27 and 28 by strips 31 and 32 positioned abovethe rollers.

The chain is mounted on a pair of sprockets 35 and 36 carried by shafts37 and 38 supported in suitable bearings at the ends of the I beams 12and 13. The shaft 38 has a sprocket 40 at one end thereofconnected by ac ain '41 to a sprocket 42 mounted at one end of a shaft 43. The shaft43 is the drive shaft and may be driven from any suitable source ofpower. The cans or containers are fed to the endless chain and cansupports thereon by a chute 45, the end ofthe chute as shown in Fig. 2being adapted to place the cans in a position to e engaged b the cansupports in the manner shown in ig. '1. In order to hold the cans inposition as they are being engaged by the can supports, a flexible andpreferably resilient stri of material 46 is supported on a bracket 4 andis held in any suitable manner as by Wei hts 48 in a position to engagethe upper en s of the cans as they are being placed on the can supports.The operation of this strip should be clear from the showing in Fig.1 1.

From'the foregoing de'scrip'tion it will be seen that the cans orcontainers will be picked up by the chain and can supports thereon andwill be fed continuousl through the machine by the chain and sproc etdrive, the cans being'positioned with their upper ends disposedsubstantially in the same plane or in alinement.

Lubricant or grease applying mechanism.

Cellophane paper, which is a very thin paper substance, is a difficultmaterial to order to facilitate the handling of this paper and toprevent curling, crackin or breakmg. a thin coating of grease orlubricant is applied to the tops of the cans. V This grease is mountedin a receptacle 50 supported above the path of travel of the containersand the grease is fed to the tops of the cans or containers by feedrolls 51, 52 and 53.

The roll 52 engages the rolls 51 and 53 and is adjustably mounted ineccentric bushings 55. The roll 51 dips into the grease or othersubstance in the receptacle 50 and transfers a film of grease to theroll 52 which in turn transfers the film to the roll 53 by means ofwhich the grease is applied to the tops of the cans. From the showing inFig. 2 it will be noted that the rolls 51, 52 and 53 gradually decreasein length. This change in dimensions is made for the purpose ofreturning any excess lubricant or grease from the roll 53 to thereceptacle and this return is effected in the following manner.

The roll 52 will receive from the roll 51 a thin film of grease and willtransfer this thin film to the roll 53. Any grease that extends beyondthe ends of the roll 53 will be taken up by theroll 52 which extendsbeyond the ends of the roll 53 and will be delivered to the roll 51which extends beyond the ends'of the roll 52. The roll 51 will I i Stripfeeding mechanism.

As shown in Fig. 1, a supply roll 60 of paper or other suitable materialis supported in brackets 61 above the path'of movement of the cans orcontainers. The paper is fed into engagement with the tops of thecontainers or cans bymeans of feed rolls 63, 64 and 65 which are gearedtogether as shown at 66, 67 and 68 in Fig. 2 andare driven in a mannerhereinafter described.

The material or paper strip 70 is led beneath the roll 63 around theroll 64 and between the roll 65 and the roll 64 and leaves the roll, 64at thebottom thereof; The roll 64 as clearly shown in Figs.' 1 and 3extends below the rolls 63 and 65 and presses the paper into contactwith the upper ends of the cans or containers.

In order to maintain the proper feed for the paper and to take up anyslack therein, the rolls 63 and '65 have portions 71 and '72 -of theperiphery tlrrcof cut away or slabbed off. In Fig. 3 it will benoteithat the portion 71 of the roll 63 is positioned opposite the roll64. In this position of the rolls no feeding action between the rolls 63and 64 will take place but the feeding action between the rolls 64 and65 will continue and Fill lllli roll will be taken up by the feedbet-ween the rolls 64 and 65. It will be evident that when the cutawayor recessed portion 72 of the roll is disposed opposite the roll 64, thefeed between these two rolls will be interrupted and any slack betweenthe coacting portions of the rolls 63 and 64 will be taken up.

The strip severing mechanism is so constructed that the strip will besevered between the two adjacent foremost cans or containers withoutrequiring the interruption of the continuous feed of the containersthrough the machine. This is accomplished in the following manner.

The strip severing mechanism is mounted on a carriage comprising a pairof U-shaped frames and 81 mounted on bases 82 and 83 which are slidablymounted in guideways S4 and 85 carried by the upper ends of the I beams12 and 1.3.

The carriage is rcciprocated in the following manner. Each of the bases82 and 83 has pivoted to depending lugs 86, a link 87, the other end ofthe link being pivoted to an arm 88. The arms 88 are mounted on a shaft89. This shaft has secured to one end thereof an arm 90, the other endof the arm having secured thereto a roller 91 positioned in a cam groove92 of a cam 93 carried by the shaft 43. The cam 93 is so constructedthat the rotation thereof will cause the carriage and cutting andpresser mechanism carried thereby to move forwardly at substantially thesame rate of speed as the travel of the containers and to coact withadjacent containers and sever the strip between said containers.

From the showings in Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that the U-shapedframes 80 and 81 have secured thereto and extending inwardlytherebetween guide blocks 95 and 96 between which is slidably mounted aframe 97 which has secured to its lower end apair of presser feet 100and 101 adapted to press the paper against the tops of the adjacent cansduring the cutting operation. The presser feet have secured theretostationary knives 105 and 106. These knives are curved longitudinallyand extend across the strip,

the knife carried by one presser foot' being disposed opposite to theknife carried by the other presser foot. The stationary knives andpresser feet on which they are mounted are adapted to reciprocatevertically during the operation of the machine in such manner that theywill coact with a pair of adjacent cans during the cutting operation andwill then be raised out of operative position un-' til the carriage hasbeen moved to a position to coact with the next pair of adjacent canswhereupon the presser feet will then again descend into operativeposition. The

operating connections for the presser feet will be ex 'ilained after theoperation of the movable or rotary cutting knives has been set forth. I

The movable cutting mechanism comprises two sets of blades adapted tocoact with the stationary {knives or relatively stationary knivescarried by the presser feet. These two sets of blades are mounted at thelongitudinal edges of the strip 70 on shafts and 111. From the showingin Figs. 2 and 5 it will be seen that blades 112 and 113 are mounted onthe shaft 110 and coact with the fixed blades 105 and- 106 carried bythe presser feet. Blades 115 and 116 are mounted on the shaft 111 andare also adapted to coact in shearing relation thereto with the blades105 and 106. The movable blades are shaped'to conform to the shape ofthe relatively stationary blades carried by the presser feet and are soconstructed that the movable blades will in conjunction with thestationary blades shear the strip and entirely sever the strip betweenits longitudinal edges. It will be noted that the stationary bladescarried by the presser feet are positioned above the strip whereas themovable blades move upwardly from below the strip. Both the stationaryand movable blades are preferably formed of resilient material.

. The shafts 110 and 111 have mounted thereon bevel gears 120 and 121which mesh with gears 122 and 123 carried by a shaft 124. The shaft 124has secured to one end thereof a sprocket 125 which is connected by achain 126 to a sprocket 127 mounted on the shaft 43.

The presser feet are vertically reciprocated by means of an arm 130carried by a shaft 131 and having one end thereof positioned in anopening 132 in the frame 97. The shaft 131 also has secured thereto anarm 135 having a roller 136 at its opposite end engaging a cam 13?mounted on the shaft 110. v. From the showing in Fig. 4 it will be seenthat the roller 136 is disposed in a depression in the cam 137permitting the presser feet to drop into. a position to press the paper.against the tops of the cans. The movable cutting knives in Fig. 4' aremoving upwardly in coaction with the stationary cutting knives carriedby the presser feet to sever the strip between the adjacent cans. Itwill be evident from the showing in Fig. 4 that the presser feet will beraised after themoy able knives have functioned to sever the strip andduring the movement of the carriage into coacting position relative tothe next set of adjacent cans which in the meantime have been advancing.r The feed rolls for the grease or lubricant and for the paper strip maybe driven in any desired manner but in the form of the inventionillustrated, the following driving connections are provided.'

- from their supports.

As above explained, the three rolls for feeding the paper 63, 64 and65are provided with intermeshing gears 66, 67 and 68. The central gear67 is mounted on 'a shaft 140 which carries a sprocket 141 connected bya chain 142 to asprocket 143 carried by shaft 144. Shaft 144 has securedthereto a gear 145 which meshes with the gear 146 carried by the-maindrive shaft 43.

The shaft 140 also has secured thereto a sprocket 150 connected by achain 151 to drive a sprocket 152 mounted on the shaft 153 whichcarriesthe feed roll 53. The rolls 52 and 51 are driven from the shaft1.53 by means of intermeshing gears 154, 155 and 156.

Any suitable means may be provided for removing the containers with thedisks thereon from the machine. In Fig. 1 there is shown a wheel 160having arms 161 adapted to engage the cans and to remove the cans Thewheel 160 is mounted on a shaft 162 driven by a worm and worm geardriving connection 163, 164 from the shaft38.

Operation.

The machine above described operates in the following manner. ,Thetubular containers or cans which as shown are open at both ends are fedinto the machine by a chute and are taken up. successively by the cansupports 16 and 17. These supports are fed by the chain in such a mannerthat.

the upper ends of the cans or containers are disposed substantially inthe same plane.

. til they reach a position in which the two foremost adjacent cans arepositioned be neath'the pressing and cutting mechanism.

The presser feet then press the paper into contact with the upper endsof the containers' or cans and the cutting mechanism operates to severthe strip between theadjacent containers. This pressing and severingoperation is carried on as the containers continue to be fed by thechain and the pressing and severing means is so mounted and actuatedthat after coacting to sever the strip between one pair of adjacentcontain- .ers, this mechanism will move to aposition in which it willcoact with the next air of adjacent containers. After the strip has beensevered, leaving-a dis ofpaper or other material on-the tops of thecans, the

cans are removed from the machine. After removal. from this machine, thecan covers are crimped around the-upper edge of the cans, the paperbeing positioned between the coverls and the tops of the cans andforming a sea a From the foregoing specification it will be seen that asimple, practical and eflicient machine has been designed .foraccomlishing the purposes set forth and for app ying a sealing disk tocontainers. 1'

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been particularlyshown and described, it will be seen that the invention is capable'ofmodification and that changes inthe construction and in thearrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or means for supporting and feeding aplurality of containers, means for feeding an elongated strip ofmaterial across the ends of the containers and into contact therewith,means for holding the strip against the ends of adjacent containers, andmeans movable with the containers and strip for severing said stripbetween adjacent containers.

3. In a machine of the character specified.

means for supporting and feeding a plurality of containers, means forfeeding an elongated strip of material across the ends of the containersand into contact therewith, and mechanism movable With the containersand strip includingmeans fort holding the strip against the ends ofadjacent containers and means for severing the strip between saidadjacent containers.

4. In a machine of the character specified, means for supporting andfeeding a plural" ity of containers, means for feeding an elongatedstrip'of material'across the ends of the containers and into contacttherewith,

and intermittently operable means movable with the containers and stripfor severing said strip.

5. In a machine of the character specified, means for supporting andfeeding a plurality of containers, means for feeding an elongated stripof material across the ends of the containers and into contacttherewith, and intermittently operable mechanism movable with thecontainers and strip for holding the strip including means against theends of adjacent containers and means for severing the strip betweensaid adjacent conta-iners.

6. In a machine of the character specified, means for supporting andfeeding a plurality of containers, means for feeding an elonrev-7,259

gated strip of material across the ends of. the containers and intocontact therewith, intermittently operable means for holding the stripagainst the ends of adjacent containers, and means movable with thecontainers and strip for severing said strip between adjacentcontainers.

7. In a machine of the character specified, means for supporting andfeeding a plurality of containers, means for feeding an elongated stripof material across the ends of the containers and into contacttherewith, and continuously actuated means, operable successivelybetween advancing sets of adjacent containers, for severingthe stripbetween said adjacent containers.

8. In a machine of the character specified, means for continuouslyadvancing a plurality of containers, means for positioning a continuousstrip of material against the tops of said containers, and means movablewith said containers and strip and operable between adjacent containersfor severing the strip between said containers.

9. In a machine of the character specified, means for continuouslyadvancing a plurality of containers, means for positioning a continuousstrip of material against the tops of said containers, andintermittently operable m'eans movable with said containers and stripand operable between adjacent containers for severing the strip betweensaid containers.

10. In a machine of the character specified, means for continuouslyadvancing a plurality of containers, means for positioning a continuousstrip of material against the tops of said containers, means movablewith said containers and strip and operable between adjacent containersfor severing the strip between said containers, and means for holdingfor applying viscous material to one end of each container, means forfeeding an elongated strip of material across said ends and intoengagement therewith, and means movable with the containers and stripand operable toward the longitudinal center of the sheet from thelongitudinal edges thereof for severing said sheet at each side of'eachcontainer.

13. In combination, means for supporting and feeding a plurality ofcontainers, means for applying grease to one end of each container,means for feeding an elongated strip of material across said ends andinto engagement therewith, and rotatable means movable with the stripand containers for severing said sheet at each side of each container.

14. In combination, means for supporting and feeding a plurality ofcontainers, means for applying grease to one end of each container,means for feeding an elongated strip of material across said ends andinto engagement therewith, and rotatable means movable with the stripand containers and operable toward the longitudinal center ofthe sheetfrom the longitudinal ed es thereof for severing said sheet at each si eof each container.

15. In combination, means for supporting and feeding a pluralityofcontainers, means for applying grease to one end of each container,means for feeding an elongated strip of material across said ends andinto engagement therewith, curved stationary knives positioned above thestrip of material and movable knives at the edges of the materialadapted to swing between adjacent containers and coact with saidstationary knives to severthe strip between adjacent contain-.

ers, said knives being movable with the strip and containers.

16. In combination, means for supporting and feeding a plurality ofcontainers, means for applying viscous material to one end of eachcontainer, means for feeding an elongated strip of material across saidends and into engagement therewith, curved stationary knives positionedabove the strip of material and curved flexible knives rotatably mountedat the edges of the material adapted riage with said strip andcontainers and means mounted on said carriage for severing said strip.

18. In a machine of the character specified, means for supporting andfeeding a plurality of containers, means for feeding a continuous stripof material along the tops of said containers and into contacttherewith, a carriage, means for moving said carriage with said stripand containers, means mounted on said carriage for severing said stripbetween adjacent containers, and means on said carriage for holding thestrip against said adjacent containers during the severing operation.

19. In a machine of the character specif fied, means for supporting andfeeding acontainers and means mounted on said carriage for severing saidstrip.

20. In a machine of the character specified, means for supporting andfeeding a plurality of containers, means for feeding a continuous stripof material along the tops of said containers and into contacttherewith, a reciprocable carriage, means for moving said carriage withsaid strip and containers, means mounted on said carriage for severingsaid strip, and reciprocable means on said carriage for holding thestrip against said adjacent containers during the severing operation.

21. In a machine of the character specified, means for supporting andfeeding a plurality of containers, means for feeding a continuous stripof material along the tops of said containers and into contacttherewith, a horizontally reciprocable carriage means for moving saidcarriage with sai strip and containers, means mounted on said carriagefor severing said stri and vertically reci rocable means on sai carriagefor holding t e stri against said adjacent containers during 1: esevering operation.

22. In a machine ofthe character specified, means for supporting andfeeding a plurality of containers and means for applymg vlscous materialto the tops of said containers, said applying means comprising a rollengageable with said container tops, a receptacle for the material, aroll for feedin the material out of the receptacle and a rol engageablewith said feeding roll and said first roll, said rolls decreasin inwidth from the feeding roll to the app y-ing roll.

23. In a machine of the character specified, means for supporting andfeeding a plurality of containers, means for feeding an elon ated stripof material across the ends 0 the containers and into contact therewith,said stri feeding means comprising a plurality of cod rolls havinortions of their surfaces coactin to fee the strip and other portionsout o coacting relation.

24. In a machine of the character specified, means for supporting andfeeding a plurality of containershaving open ends means for feeding anelongated strip of material in the direction of feed of the containersacross the open ends of the containers and into flat engagementtherewith,

said strip feeding means comprising a pair of IOllS.

means for supporting and feeding a plurality of containers, means forfeeding an elongated strip of material across the ends of the containersand into contact therewith, said strip feeding means comprising a pairof coacting feed rolls, one of the rolls having a portion of itsperiphery cut away.

27 In a machine of the character specified, means for supporting andfeeding a plurality of containers, means for feeding an elongated stripof material across the ends of the containers and into contacttherewith,said stripfeedin means comprising three interengaging rols, each of thetwo rolls at the side of the central roll having a y I portion of itsperiphery cut away.

28. In a machine of the character specified, means for supporting andfeeding a plurality of containers, means for feeding an elongated stripof material across the ends of the containers and into contacttherewith, said strip feeding means comprising three interengagingrolls, each of the two rolls at the side of the central roll having aportion of its periphery cut away, said cut away portions being solocated that only one of said portions will be positioned opposite thecentral roll at any one time. 29. In a machine of the characterspecified, means for supporting and feeding a plurality of open endedcontainers, said means comprising an endless carrier and a plurality ofspaced supports thereon, each support being adapted to receive onecontainer, a chute for feeding the containers to said carrier and meansdisposed above the delivery end of the chute for ositioning and holdingthe containers on sai supports.

30. In a machine of the character specified, means for supporting andfeeding a plurality of open ended containers, said means comprising anendless carrier and a plurality of spaced supports thereon, each supportbeing adapted to receive one con-' tamer, a chute for feeding thecontainers to said carrier and resilient means disposedabove thedelivery end of the chute for positioning and holding the containers onsaid supports. I

31. In a machine of the character specified, .means for supporting andfeeding a f.

plurality of open ended containers, said means comprising an endlesscarrier and a plurality of spaced supports thereon, each support havinga beveled upper end and being adapted to receive one container, a chutefor feeding the containers to said carrier and means disposed above thedelivery end of the chute for positioning and holding the containers onsaid supports.

32. In a machine of the character specified, means for supporting andfeeding a plurality of open ended containers, said means comprising anendless carrier and a plurality of spaced supports thereon each supporthaving a beveled upper end and being adapted to receive one container, achute for feeding the containers to said carrier and resilient meansdisposedabove the delivery end of the chute for positioning and holdingthe containers on said supports.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day ofOctober, 1926.

JOHN VAN BUREN.

